Flexible clasp-button



C. M. WEBB AND T. MILLER- FLEXIBLE CLASP BUTTON. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. I921.

} Patented Sept. 13, 1921 JyJ CHARLES M. WEBB AND THEODORE MILLER, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT,

A SSIGNORS TO WATERBURY BUCKLE (30., OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT A CORPORATION.

FLEXIBLE CLASP-BUTTON.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES Monsn WEBB and THEODORE MILLER, citizens of the United States, residing at Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Counecti out, have invented a new and useful Improvement in-Flexible Clasp-Buttons; and we do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this application, and represent, in

Figure 1 a view in front elevation of the lower end of a garter-strap provided with our improved flexible button.

Fig. 2 a similar view with the fasteningloo removed.

ig. 3 an edge view thereof.

Fig. 4 an enlarged view in vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 a perspective view showing the two parts of the button detached and separated.

Fig. 6 a corresponding view of one of the modified forms which our improved button ma assume.

ur invention relates to an improvement in that class of buttons or studs used in the clasps or fasteners of stocking or hose supporters and like articles, the object being to produce, at a low cost for manufacture, a simple and reliable stud of superior efficiency.

With these ends in view, our invention consists in a two-part button composed of two independent one-piece parts, each having a threading-base and an upstanding flanged half-shank, the half-shanks of the respective parts being arranged in oppotion to each other, so as to form a virtually complete shank when the parts are brought into juxtaposition.

ur invention further consists in a flexible two-part garter button having certain details of construction as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out our invention, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, we produce from sheet-metal two one-piece independent button or stud members, each having a bowed threading-base 6 formed with a segmental threading-opening 7 and having a curved outer and a straight inner edge and each P o ided p n the c nt r of i s straight n- 10 and rounded outer faces 11.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 13, 1921.

Application filed {une 20, 1921.

Serial No. 478,817.

ner edge with an upstanding flanged halfshank comprising a struck-up stem 8 standing at a right angle to the plane of the base and a semicircular. flange 9 turned outwardly at a right angle to the said stem and therefore into a plane parallel with the plane of the base 6. The stems 8 are struck outwardly, so as to form recessed inner faces The two parts of each two-part button are alike, with the exception that their half-shank members are arranged in opposition, so that, when the straight edges of the basemeinbers Of the two parts are brought into juxtaposition, their half-shank members unite to form a substantially circular stem having a substantially circular overhanging flange or head. By preference and as shown, the two parts are flexibly united by a rubber collet 12 formed at its outer end with a rib or enlargement 13, which gives shape and body to the outer end of the button-head. The two parts are 'thus held so as to function as though unitary, but they are relatively movable within the limits of the elasticity of the collet 12; thus they can slide one upon the other as well as spread apart.

Our two-part virtually flexible button is mounted in the usual manner upon a tape or band of elastic or inelastic webbing 14, which is passed through the threading-openings 7 of the respective parts, as shown in Fig. 1, and then stitched, as at 15, whereby the two parts are additionally held together. The wire loop 16 is mounted above them on the band 1.4 in the usual manner and coacts with the button in the usual way, with the exception that in case of diagonal strains upon the loop 16, the rigid sides 17 thereof may act through the collet 12 to effect a slight displacement of the two members with respect to each other, so as to accommodate thefastener to the direction of the strains, whereby its grip is improved and the danger of cutting the fabric minimized.

Instead of forming the two independent parts of the button from sheet-metal, they may be produced from wire bent midway of its length to form loop-like upstanding halfshanks 18 having their bowed ends bent into the horizontal plane, as at 19, the ends of the wire being then bent oppositely to form a rectangular body 20 having a threading opening 21. When these two wire parts are brought together they are united. by means of a rubber collet 12 applied to their looplike shanks and are additionally connected by means of threading the lower end of the webbing 14 through their threading-openings 21. While we prefer to unite the shankmembers of the respective parts by a flexible eollet, such as 12, they might, of course, be permanently united by some other form of a clasp, such as a metal clip or a wire.

We claim:

1. A two-part flexible button consisting of two independent one-piece half parts, each having a bowed threading-base and a centrally-arranged"upstanding flanged halfshank comprising a struck-up stem and a semicircular flange, the upstanding halfshanks of the two threading-bases being arranged in opposition, so as to unite to form a complete shank when the inner edges of the threading-bases are brought into opposition; in combination with means applied to the half-shanks for binding them together.

2. A two-part flexible button consisting of two one-piece independent half parts, each having a threading-base and a contrally-arranged upstanding half-shank; in combination with a flexible eollet applied. over the half-shanks for binding them together.

3. The combination with a two-part flexible button consisting of two one-piece independent half parts, each having a threading base and a centrally-arranged upstanding flanged halfshank, means for binding the half-shanks of the two parts together to form a complete shank, and a tape or band passed through the threading-bases of the two parts and positioning them in close juxtaposition.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES M. WEBB. THEODORE MILLER.

lVitne-sses:

R. A. Moonn, AGNES Conn. 

